Sealing device for receptacles such as bottles



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' W. H. HELDICK ET AL $EALING DEVICE FOR RECEPTACLES SUCH AS BOTTLES Filed May 23. 1923 Patented July 29, 1924.

D STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

WALTER H. HILDICK, OF EAST ORANGE, AND HARRY SEI/ILEAR, JR., 013 RIDGE- WOOD, NEW JERSEY.

SEALING DEVICE FOR RECEPTACLES SUCH AS BOTTLES.

Application filed May 23, 1923. Serial No. 640,837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER H. HILDIGK and HARRY SEMLEAR, Jr., citizens of the United States, residing at East Orange and Ridgewood, respectively, in the county of Essex and Bergen,- respectively, and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sealing Devices for Receptacles Such as Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

Qur invention relates to a new and im prov-ed sea-1mg device for receptacles, suchas bottles and the like, which are used for carrying liquids.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a new and improved sealing device for receptacles intended to carry liquids which ferment when they are stored or shipped, such as cider for example.

Another object of our invention is to provide a new and improved sealing device having an opening which is normally kept closed by a closure, said closure being adapted to yield or break when the pressure inside the receptacle exceeds a certain limit.

Other objects of our invention will be set forth in the following description and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof.

Fig. 1 is a detail sectional View.

Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1 with some of the parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partially in section.

The bottle 1 is of any ordinary type and has the cork 2 of any ordinary type secured therein in the well known manner. Said cork 2 has an opening 8 which is preferably made as narrow as possible so as to provide a very narrow passage when the cork 2 is in position, as. shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 for example.

The opening at the top of the cork formed by the passage 3 is normally closed by a disc 4 made of any suitable waterproof paper, such as parafiin paper. This is firmly secured in place by any suitable means, such as by an adhesive or the like.

Said paper disc l is capable of being broken or ruptured whenever the gas pressure inside the bottle 1 exceeds a certain desired limit. Hence the little piece of paper which is directly above the top of the opening 3 and which may be regarded as the closure therefor, is removed when the ,gas pressure inside the bottle 1 exceeds a predetermined limit, so that the compressed gases are then free to escape. At the same time the very narrow diameter of the open ing 3, causes it to exert a high capillary attraction upon the liquid contents of the receptacle 1, so that there is little or no danger of said contents spilling out.

This invention is particularly useful in receptacles for shipping or storing cider as the cider continuously ferments after it has been bottled. This fermentation is objectionable because the gas pressure frequently become-s great enough to blow out the corks and spatter the liquid, or else the liquid is spattered when the cork is removed.

According to our invention, if the cider ferments too much, the paper disc 4 is ruptured and the fermented gases can freely escape while there is little or no danger of the cider being contaminated or being accidentally spilled out.

e have described a preferred embodiment of our invention but it is clear that numerous changes andomissions could be made without departing from its spirit.

lVe claim A sealing device comprising a cork adapted to seal a receptacle, said cork having a narrow opening therein, an exposed paper disc adapted to close the said opening and located at the top of the cork, the said disc being adapted to be automatically ruptured when the gas pressure in the said receptacle exceeds a predetermined limit so as to permit the free escape of the gas in the said receptacle, the said opening in the cork being so narrow that any substantial escape of liquid therethrough is prevented by the capillary force exerted by the liquid in the said opening.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures. 

